Otto everett bookeb



(No Model.)

0. E'. ROOKER.

TOY.

Prafented Aug. 7, 1888.

gnomi/hoz llaman @raras Partnr Ormes@ OTTO EVERETT HOOKER, OF MOORESVILLE, INDIANA.

TOY.

QPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,542, dated August '7, 1889.

Application filed January Q5, 1888. Serial No. 261,817. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, Orr'ro Evnnn'rr HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mooresville, in the county of Morgan and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys.

The object of the present invention is the production of a toyhorse of simple and cheap construction adapted to be straddled and ridden by children, and having its operative mechanism thoroughly protected from injury and out of the reach of the children playing with the toy.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speeicatiomand in which like letters of reference designate corresponding parts,

Figure l is a perspective view of the automatic toy horse in the position it would occupy while being ridden by a child. Fig. 2 is a View in vertical longitudinal section, show ing the mechanism which causes the horses legs to move forward and backward; aud Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional view.

In the drawings, A designates a toy horse, made of suitable material, and consisting of two side pieces, a and c', each of which is provided with a eoncavity, a2. The concavities di, situated ou the inner sides of the portions c a and extending nearly the entire length of' the main body of the pieces-that is, from the tail to thc ncck-register with each other, and when the parts are put together te construct a horse they form an interior chamber adapted to contain the mechanism which causes the horscs legs to move forward and backward in imitation of running or walking.

The horse A. is mounted at its rear end on suitable wheels, B, which, when the horse is straddled by a child and caused to move along the floor or ground in imitation of riding, enables it to run smoothly and without friction and with very little exertion on the part of the child. At the fore part of the horse are the legs C, which are iixed tothe ends of a crank-shaft, D, and move forward and backward by mechanism about to be described.

The wheels are rigidly secured to the axle E, which has formed in it intermediate of its ends a loop, e, that causes the axle to perform the function of a crank-shaft. O11 either side of the loop, and between it and the sides of the horse, I place washers G, whereby the rod F, which conveys motion from the axle E to the horses legs by means of the crankshaft D, is caused to remain on the loop e and prevented slipping down the sides of it. This rod F extends from the axle E to the crankshaft D, having a loop, d, to which the rod F is attached. The loop (Z is somewhat longer than the loop e, whereby when the axle revolves an oscillating motion will be imparted to the crank-shaft D through the rod F, and the legs C will be caused to swing back and forth in imitation of thoseof a natural one. The pieces a and a of the horse A are suitably fastened together by nails, screws, or the like; and when the horse is complete it is desirable to ornament the same by a saddle, bridle, and the ordinary trappings of a horse.

From the foregoing description and the aecompanying drawings it will be clearly seen that the operative mechanism is entirely within the body of the horse and out of the reach of the children playing with the toy; that the parts areproteeted and prevented from becoming broken or inoperative. and that the durability of the toy is materially in creased.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A toy horse adapted to be straddled and ridden by children, comprising two portions having in their meeting faces concavities which form an interior chamber that receives and protects the operative mechanism, a crank-axle mounted at the rear of the chamber and provided with wheels, a crank-shaft mounted at the front of the chamber and provided with legs, and a rod connecting the two, the loop in said crank-shaft being longer than the loop of the crank-axle, whereby the crankshaft is caused to oscillate, substantially as described.

2. A toy horse adapted to be straddied and ridden by children, comprising two similar portions having in their meeting faces coneavities which form an interior Chamber to receive and protect the operative mechanism, a Crank-axle mounted at the rear of the chamber and provided with wheels, a crank-shaft mounted at the front of the chamber and provided with legs, a rod connecting the two, and

1o washers placed at eaeh side of theioop of said Crank-axle, whereby the connecting-rod is pre- Vented from slipping and the device becoming inoperative, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in'presenee of two witnesses.

OTTO EVERETT ROOKER. Witnesses:

W. E. MoCoRD, A. T. DEAKINB. 

